A Palestinian was shot dead after a suspected vehicular attack near the Huwwara military checkpoint in the northern occupied West Bank district of Nablus, Israel’s army said.
A spokesperson for the Israeli army told Ma’an that an assailant ran his car into Israeli forces who were stationed on highway 60 near the Huwwara checkpoint for security purposes.
The forces opened fire on the man, killing him on scene, the spokesperson said.
The Palestinian was identified as Hassan Ali Hassan Bozor, 22 from the town of Arraba east of Jenin.
One soldier was moderately wounded in the suspected attack and was taken to Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva, Israeli media reported.
Highway 60 is a major thoroughfare for Palestinians as well as Israelis living in illegal settlements, and the Huwwara area that lies on the route has been site to frequent confrontation between local Palestinians and Israeli military and settlers in recent months.
Two Palestinians were shot dead on Dec. 27 after stabbing an Israeli soldier in the village of Huwwara, located adjacent to the checkpoint.
The day before, a 56-year-old Palestinian was killed after running his car into a group of Israeli forces at the military checkpoint, injuring one.
In the weeks preceding, one 15-year-old and two 16-year-old Palestinians were shot dead at the checkpoint — one by an Israeli settler — after allegedly attempting to carrying out attacks.
No Israelis were injured in any of the incidents.
Amid violence that escalated in the occupied Palestinian territory in October and continued through December, Senior UN official Miroslav Jenca said earlier this month that attempts to reduce violence must not rely entirely on “enhanced security measures,” but “must also address the primary elements motivating Palestinian anger.”
“The injustices associated with an occupation which shows no prospect of ending feed into a perspective — particularly among the youth — that they have nothing to lose by sacrificing their lives,” the UN official said during an address to the UN Security Council.
While the majority of recent attacks have been carried out without the organization of political factions, Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas has not publicly condemned the recent attacks or upsurge in demonstrations.
Israeli authorities meanwhile have launched a crackdown in response to the escalation, promoting a “shoot-to-kill” policy against Palestinians as well as a series of harsh measures throughout the occupied territory that rights groups have termed collective punishment.
(MAAN)
